Broken Girl(24)

“You see, it’s Rose’s first time eating Cajun, my goal to get her to like the food here so she’ll agree to come back and have lunch with me again. Can we make that happen, Philomena?”

If he only knew he was wrapping me around his finger too.

“Ey, So, I’d suggest for de’ girlfriend Rose, de’ Louisian’ Blue Crab Cakes or de’ Fried Chicken Po’Boy. De’ spice can be adjusted, hot o’ mild. Yah see?”

“I do. That sounds good, so let’s order my girlfriend the Louisiana Crab Cakes, the Po’ Boy and a Little Gem Wedge Salad . . . and for me, I’d like the dozen oysters. Also, two drafts of Blue Moon please. Oh, and Philomena, Rose here isn’t quite there yet. It’s our first lunch together.” Shane closed the menu and handed it back to her.

“Whoa, that’s—” I tried to say something.

“Forward?” Shane quipped

“No, I was going to say—”

“You don’t like Blue Moon?” He interrupted again.

“No, I mean, I like Blue Moon. But I think I’ll have an iced tea instead,” I muttered. The last thing I needed was to be carded in front of Shane.

“So, what do you think?” Shane asked, contagious in his excitement, causing me to smile.

“I think you just let Philomena believe you’re taking me on a lunch date, and you ordered way too much food.”

“I know. That tends to happens when trying to impress a girl, I mean a friend that happens to be a girl.”

“Oh, so now you’re telling me you’ve done this with other girls before?”

“Well, not necessarily at this restaurant, or the particular food I ordered. But I’ve been known to order more than I can eat. I suffer from The Big Eye Syndrome.”

“Big Eye Syndrome?”

“You know, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. I order a ton of food, then I can’t eat it all. Besides, they don’t really have a sampler, so it only made sense to order all the things I want you to try.”

“Well, you better not have that eye thingy going on today. You’re gonna help me eat all that food.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m all about sharing. Whatever we don’t finish, I’ll have Philomena wrap up and you can take it home,” he said through a persuading grin. I liked how he was so smooth with changing the subject too. I guess the other girls he tried to impress was a topic better left untapped.

Just as he was about to say something our waitress, Philomena came over with his Blue Moon beer with a wedge of orange stuffed in the mouth of the bottle, a chilled mug, an iced tea and a tall thin vase half filled with water. She lodged the tray against her hip and the table, pulling everything off and announced its arrival.

“Aright, one iced tea, and a Blu’ Moon with a chilled mug.” Philomena placed a vase next to the napkin holder. She boldly picked up the yellow rose and dropped it into the vase. “There we go, a pint for de’ pretty lady’s flower.”

“Thanks,” Shane said before he pushed his orange slice into the bottle of Blue Moon. Ignoring the chilled mug, he tipped the beer against his mouth. Leaning back, his rounded lips were the gatekeepers to letting it roll down his throat as his modest Adam’s apple danced up and down his throat in waves.

“And by the way, I am paying for my half of the bill,” I snapped before I dropped my straw into the iced tea and pulled it up to my lips.

Call it one of my unbreakable rules, never indebt yourself to anyone.

“But, only half the bill, those Blue Moons are on you, buddy,” I teased in a serious tone.

“Deal, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to the restroom.”

“Must be those flaming peanut things you ate.”

“Or the couple of beers I had earlier.”

Shane stood up and folded his napkin, placing it on the table before he smiled and tapped his fingers on the back of his chair. He dragged his hand across the table, intentionally making sure his fingertips brushed against my skin.

“Be right back. Don’t go off with some guy who appears to be better looking than me,” he teased.

“Well, we both know looks can be deceiving,” I answered back immediately.

“And I know a woman as beautiful as you, at a table alone, is a wide-open invitation.”

“Well, thanks for the flattery, but trust me that’s highly unlikely.” I snickered as I looked down at my napkin and twirled it between my fingers.

Shane pushed his hand under my chin, pulling my face to look at him. “Never underestimate your beauty, Rose. I guarantee you every guy in this restaurant hasn’t.” His eyes twinkled with that look. I knew the look that every guy has carried in his eyes when they thought they were seeing an expectation that just wasn’t supposed to be there between friends.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell him that I am on my very first date with my guy friend. And that it just isn’t in the stars for us.”

“Yeah, guys hate that shit. Make sure he knows I’m coming right back too. Maybe I’m getting somewhere with this friends concept. I’ll be right back.”

Shane gave a lopsided grin before his blazing hazel eyes hid behind a lengthened blink. I gave him a partial smile before I waved him off to the bathroom. “Yeah, you’d better hurry the whites of your eyes are turning yellow.”